BY ELIJAH GICHUNGE

Photo: JAMES MWIRIGI

The county government of Meru in collaboration with the Cancer Centered Meru Hospice, non-profit organization, on the 18th of December, distributed Christmas gifts to the cancer patients at the Hospice headquarters.

Speaking during the exercise, the Director of Special Programs, Mr. Anthony Kimathi said that the County government will continue supporting the center to enhance its effort to fight the cancer menace. In the past, he said the government through the directorate of special programs has been supporting the centers initiatives.

He added that the government is carrying out outreach programs raising awareness on cancer preventive measures through cancer screening across the county. He requested the members of the public to go for early screening so as to know their status.

Also, Mr. Kimathi cautioned them against eating the sprayed fruits or vegetables, advising them to start kitchen gardens or be patient to wait until it is safe to, or else establish their own kitchen gardens to avoid some of the cancer risk factors.

He said that the government is constructing a special ward at the Meru Level 5 Hospital which when complete will have a 420 bed capacity. He said this will also have a special unit on which cancer cases will be dealt with.

Gladys Mucee, the Hospice Program Coordinator, thanked the Kiraitu's administration saying it has been very supportive to their initiatives. She said the event was an annual fare during which they make merry with their patients by remembering them in the Christmas eve.

Statistics according to the Cancer Centre Registry, has it that Meru County leads in cancer cases country wide, with the commonest cancer attacks being those of the stomach, oesophagus, the cervix, prostate, and breast.

On this Gladys said the Hospice in collaboration with the public and private doctors, Meru, KeMU and Chuka Universities, are working on a research to establish the root cause of the cancer menace in Meru County and the possible ways of combating it.

She asked the people to avoid the predisposing factors encouraging them to seek early screening, saying that cancer is treatable if discovered early.

Geoffrey Kinoti, the Chairman Meru Hospice, called for community support in their overall initiative which he said would work well especially in such a time that they are prospecting to established a cancer center where they can have a palliative care unit for the patients.